The present invention relates to a connector provided with a lock ensuring mechanism which is used for connection of electric wires and the like.
A wire harness used in a moving body such as an automobile has connectors which are each obtained by connecting a male-type connector housing (hereafter referred to as a male housing) and a female-type connector housing (hereafter referred to as a female housing). Terminals fittings with electric wires are accommodated in the male housing and the female housing.
In such a connector in which the male housing and the female housing are connected to each other, various ensuring mechanisms have hitherto been proposed to ascertain whether the male housing and the female housing have been completely connected or are in a semiengaged state. As the connector having the just-mentioned ensuring mechanism, a connector disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-192808A shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 is known.
As illustrated in FIG. 21, a connector 101 having the aforementioned lock ensuring mechanism is provided with a female housing 102, a male housing 103, and a lock ensuring member 104. The female housing 102 has a main body 110 for accommodating a plurality of terminal fittings and a hood portion 111 for receiving the male housing 103 and is formed in a box shape.
A locking hole 105 is formed on an outer wall located on the upper side in the drawing among a plurality of outer walls for forming the hood portion 111. This locking hole 105 extends through the outer wall. In addition, a pair of releasing rods 113 extending from the main body 110 toward an opening of the hood portion 111 are provided inside the hood portion 111. Each of the releasing rods 113 has a projection 114 at its free end. A tapered face 115 is formed on an upper face of each projection 114.
The male housing 103 has a main body 116 for accommodating a plurality of terminal fittings and a locking arm 117. The locking arm 117 is formed in the shape of a strip, and one end portion thereof is integral with an outer wall of the main body 116. The other end portion of the locking arm 117 is a free end portion so that the locking arm is held by the main body 116 in a cantilevered manner. It should be noted that the fixed end portion is located in the vicinity of the female housing 102 when the female housing 102 and the male housing 103 are engaged with each other. The longitudinal direction of the locking arm 117 extends in the direction in which the housings 102 and 103 approach each other when the housings 102 and 103 are engaged with each other (hereinafter, this direction will be referred as an engagement direction).
The locking arm 117 is provided with a locking projection 118 at its widthwise central portion, and is provided with a detecting portion 119 at its other end portion. The locking projection 118 projects from an outer face of the locking arm 117 outwardly of the male housing 103. The locking projection 118 is to be engaged with the locking hole 105.
The detecting portion 119 projects from the outer face of the locking arm 117 outwardly of the male housing 103, The detecting portion 119 has an inclined face 120 on a side of which does not face the female housing 102. The inclined face 120 extends in the engagement direction, so as to form an acute angle with the direction of extension of the locking arm 117. In addition, an engaging projection 121 is provided at the fixed end portion of the locking arm 117. The engaging projection 121 projects outwardly from the fixed end portion.
Further, the male housing 103 has a pair of protective walls 122. These protective walls 122 are respectively provided uprightly on the outer wall of the main body 116, and are parallel to the locking arm 117. The protective walls 122 are respectively disposed on both sides of the locking arm 117 and distanced from the locking arm 117.
When the female housing 102 and the male housing 103 are engaged, the locking projection 118 of the locking arm 107 is engaged with the locking hole 105 so that the engagement between the female and male housings 102 and 103 is locked.
The lock ensuring member 104 has an inverse U-shaped proximal portion and a pair of flexible retaining pieces 124. One end portion of each of flexible retaining pieces 124 is integral with the proximal portion 123 so that the flexible retaining pieces 124 are respectively cantilevered by the proximal portion 123. A tapered face 126 is formed on a lower face continuing to each free end 125 of the flexible retaining piece 124.
The flexible retaining pieces 124 are respectively provided with detecting projections 127. Each detecting projection 127 is provided between the free end 125 of the flexible retaining piece 124 and the proximal portion 123. The lock ensuring member 104 is attached to the male housing 103 such that the locking arm 117 is sandwiched between the pair of flexible retaining pieces 124, and the pair of flexible retaining pieces 124 are positioned between the pair of protective walls 122.
As for the connector 101 constructed as described above, the lock ensuring member 104 is attached to the male housing 103 in advance in a state in which the free ends 125 of the flexible retaining pieces 124 respectively abut against the engaging projections 121, as shown in FIG. 22. At this state, the male housing 103 and the female housing 102 are engaged with each other. When the locking projection 118 is engaged with the locking hole 105, the lock ensuring member 104 is pressed toward the female housing 102. Then, as shown in FIG. 23, the free ends 125 tend to be displaced along the tapered faces 126.
When the lock ensuring member 104 is further pressed toward the female housing 102, the flexible retaining pieces 124 are retained by the engaging projections 121, as shown in FIG. 24. In addition, the detecting projections 127 is positioned between the detecting portion 119 and an edge portion of the outer wall of the female housing 102 for forming the hood portion 111. The detecting projections 127 are engaged with the detecting portion 119.
Meanwhile, when the connector 101 is in a state in which the locking projection 118 is not engaged with the locking hole 105, i.e., in a state in which the male housing 103 and the female housing 102 are in a state of being semiengaged with each other, the free end portion of the locking arm 117 is urged toward the male housing 103. For this reason, even if the lock ensuring member 104 is pressed toward the female housing 102, the lock ensuring member 104 abuts against the inclined face 120 of the detecting portion 119, so that the lock ensuring member 104 cannot be pressed toward the female housing 102.
Thus, in the case of the connector 101 having the above-described related lock ensuring mechanism, whether or not the female housing 102 and the male housing 103 are completely engaged with each other is determined on the basis of whether or not the lock ensuring member 104 can be pressed toward the female housing 102.
Moreover, some connectors provided with a lock ensuring mechanism comprises a female housing, a male housing and a, lock ensuring member which is slidably supported on one of the female housing and the male housing. One of the housings is provided with a locking arm which is once deformed elastically when the male housing is fitted in the female housing. The other housing is provided with an engaging portion to be engaged with the locking arm. The lock ensuring member slides between a locked position in which the elastic deformation of the locking arm is restricted and an unlocked position in which the elastic deformation of the locking arm is allowed.
The lock ensuring member is maintained in the unlocked position until the male housing is fitted in the female housing. When the male housing is completely fitted in the female housing, the lock ensuring member can freely slide between the locked position and the unlocked position. Consequently, the lock ensuring member is maintained in the locked position so that the engagement of the male housing in the female housing is not released. Moreover, when the male housing is incompletely fitted in the female housing, the lock ensuring member cannot be displaced to the locked position but is maintained in the unlocked position. Thus, it can be recognized that the male housing is completely (reliably) fitted in the female housing or not depending on whether or not the lock ensuring member can be displaced to the locked position.
With the connector 101 having the related lock ensuring mechanism, the lock ensuring member 104 is moved toward the female housing 102 after engagement between the female housing 102 and the male housing 103. For this reason, it has been necessary to keep the free end portion of the lock ensuring member 104 projecting outwardly of the outer wall of the male housing 103 before the engagement between the housings 102 and 103.
Consequently, when the aforesaid wire harness is manufactured, there has been the risk that the other end portion of the above-described lock ensuring member 104 comes into contact with or becomes caught by various manufacturing devices for manufacturing the wire harness. In a worst case, there has been the risk of particularly the free end portion of the lock ensuring member 104 becoming broken.
In particular, when terminal fittings 140 are inserted into the main body 116 of the male housing 103 with the lock ensuring member 104 attached thereto, chucks 41 such as those shown in FIG. 25B are used. Each chuck 41 has a pair of clamping pieces 42 which are capable of clamping the terminal fitting 140 therebetween. In this case, as shown in FIG. 25A, the other end portion of the lock ensuring member 104 and the chuck 41 interfere with each other. For this reason, it becomes difficult to insert the terminal fittings 140 into the main body 116 of the male housing 103 by using the chucks 41.
In the connector having the lock ensuring member, moreover, when the male housing is completely engaged with the female housing, the lock ensuring member can freely slide between the locked position and the unlocked position. Furthermore, the lock ensuring member is maintained in the unlocked position until the male housing is engaged with the female housing. Consequently, an operator to assemble the connector forgets to move the lock ensuring member to the locked position after the male housing is engaged with the female housing. For this reason, there is a risk that the male housing might accidentally slip out of the female housing during the delivery of an assembled connector.
Furthermore, when the male housing is completely engaged with the female housing, the lock ensuring member can freely slide between the locked position and the unlocked position. For this reason, there is also a risk that the lock ensuring member might be displaced from the locked position to the unlocked position and the male housing might accidentally slip out of the female housing during the delivery of the assembled connector.
It is a first object of the invention to provide a connector provided with a lock ensuring mechanism and a lock ensuring method for the connector which can prevent a male housing from accidentally slipping out of a female housing after the engagement and.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a connector provided with a lock ensuring mechanism which does not disturb the manufacture of a wire harness and can prevent the wire harness from being broken during the manufacture.
It is a third object of the invention to provide a connector housing which can be prevented from accidentally slipping out of the other connector housing after the engagement.
In order to achieve the first object, according to the invention, there is provided a method of ensuring whether a first housing and a second housing which constitute a connector are completely engaged with each other, comprising the steps of:
providing a locking member in the first housing;
providing a locking arm in the second housing so as to be once deformed to be engaged with the locking member to engage the first housing and the second housing;
providing a lock ensuring member so as to be supported by the locking arm movably in the extending direction of the locking arm between a first position closer to the first housing and a second position farther from the first housing, so as to restrict the deformation of the locking arm at the first position, so as to allow the deformation of the locking arm at the second position, and such that the locking ensuring member is moved toward the second position when the first housing and the second housing are completely engaged with each other;
starting an engaging operation of the first housing and the second housing in a state that the lock ensuring member is placed at the first position; and
moving the lock ensuring member toward the first position after the engaging operation is completed.
In order to achieve the first object, according to the invention, there is also provided A connector for electrically connecting a first terminal fitting and a second terminal fitting, comprising:
a first housing, formed with a first chamber for accommodating the first terminal fitting therein;
a second housing, formed with a second chamber for accommodating the second terminal fitting therein;
a locking member, provided in the first housing;
a locking arm, extended from an outer face of the second housing in an extending direction of the second chamber, the locking arm being deformable in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the second chamber; and
a lock ensuring member, supported by the locking arm movably in the extending direction of the second chamber between a first position closer to the first housing and a second position farther from the first housing, the lock ensuring member restricting the deformation of the locking arm at the first position, and allowing the deformation of the locking arm at the second position,
wherein the locking arm is once deformed when the locking arm is engaged with the locking member to engage the first housing and the second housing; and
wherein the lock ensuring member is moved toward the second position until the locking arm is engaged with the locking member.
In the above configurations, when the first housing is to be engaged with the second housing, the lock ensuring member is displaced from the first position to the second position. Accordingly, since an operator can easily recognize the lock ensuring member, the operator hardly forgets to displace the lock ensuring member toward the first position and the operator can easily recognize whether the first housing and the second housing are completely engaged with each other. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the first housing and the second housing from accidentally slipping off after the engagement.
In order to achieve the first and the second objects, it is preferable that one end portion of the lock ensuring member which is away from the first housing is not protruded from an outer face of the second housing, when the lock ensuring member is placed at the second position.
In this configuration, it is possible to prevent the first housing and the second housing from accidentally slipping off after the engagement, and furthermore, to prevent the disturbance of the manufacture of a wire harness and to prevent a breakage.
In order to achieve the first and the second objects, it is preferable that the locking arm includes a locking projection protruded in an outward direction of the second housing and the lock ensuring member includes: a release stopper; an abutment face; and a locking recess. In this case, the locking projection is engaged with the release stopper of the lock ensuring member or the locking member of the first housing. The abutment face is abutted against the first housing when the locking projection is engaged with the locking member. The locking projection is entered into the locking recess when the lock ensuring member is moved toward the second position. At least one of the lock ensuring member and the locking arm includes a guide face which displaces the release stopper so as to be disengaged from the locking projection, when the first housing and the second housing approach in a state that the locking projection is entered into the locking recess.
In this configuration, the guide face displaces the lock ensuring member in such a direction as to go away from the locking projection interlockingly with the operation for engaging the housings with each other. At this time, the abutment face is abutted against the first housing, and the lock ensuring member is moved toward the second position so that the lock ensuring member is displaced in such a direction as to go away from the locking projection, that is, in such a direction as to go away from the locking member. Therefore, the lock ensuring member does not disturb the engagement of the locking projection with the locking member.
Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the first housing and the second housing from accidentally slipping off after the engagement, to prevent the disturbance of the manufacture of a wire harness and to prevent a breakage, and furthermore, to reliably fit the housings each other.
In order to achieve the first and the second objects, it is preferable that the second housing includes a restricting projection which is abutted against the lock ensuring member such that the release stopper is disengaged from the locking projection, when the locking arm is engaged with the locking member.
In this configuration, the restricting projection prevents the release stopper of the lock ensuring member from being disengaged from the locking arm after the locking arm is engaged with the locking member. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the first housing and the second housing from accidentally slipping off after the engagement, to prevent the disturbance of the manufacture of a wire harness and to prevent a breakage, and furthermore, to reliably prevent the fitted housings from being accidentally separated from each other.
In order to achieve the first and the second objects, it is preferable that the second housing includes a stopper which delimits the movable range of the lock ensuring member toward the first housing.
In this configuration, it is possible to prevent the lock ensuring member from slipping out of the second housing before the engaging operation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first housing and the second housing from accidentally slipping off after the engagement, to prevent the disturbance of the manufacture of a wire harness and to prevent a breakage, and furthermore, to reliably fit the housings each other.
In order to achieve the first and the second objects, it is preferable that the stopper is brought into contact with a first portion of the lock ensuring member when the locking projection is engaged with the release stopper. In this case, a dimension between the stopper and a first outer face of the second housing which is most distant from the first housing is not less than a dimension obtained by adding a dimension between the first portion of the lock ensuring member and the first outer face of the second housing and a dimension in which the lock ensuring member moves toward the second position when the first housing and the second housing are engaged.
In this configuration, the end of the lock ensuring member which is provided apart from one of the housings can be more reliably prevented from being protruded from the outer face of the first housing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first housing and the second housing from accidentally slipping off after the engagement, and furthermore, to prevent the disturbance of the manufacture of a wire harness and to prevent a breakage.
In order to achieve the third object, it is preferable that one end portion of the lock ensuring member which is away from the first housing is protruded from an outer face of the second housing, when the lock ensuring member is placed at the second position.
In this configuration, an operator can easily recognize the lock ensuring member. Therefore, the operator hardly forgets to displace the lock ensuring member toward the first position. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent the first housing and the second housing from accidentally slipping off after the engagement.
Moreover, the locking arm is easily deformed elastically through the lock ensuring member so that the locking arm can easily be disengaged from the locking member. Accordingly, the first housing and the second housing can easily be removed from each other.
In order to achieve the third object, according to the invention, there is provided a connector for electrically connecting a first terminal fitting and a second terminal fitting, comprising:
a first housing, formed with a first chamber for accommodating the first terminal fitting therein;
a second housing, formed with a second chamber for accommodating the second terminal fitting therein;
a locking member, provided in the first housing;
a locking arm, extended from an outer face of the second housing in an extending direction of the second chamber, the locking arm being deformable in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the first chamber; and
a lock ensuring member, supported by the locking arm movably in the extending direction of the second chamber between a first position closer to the first housing and a second position farther from the first housing, the lock ensuring member restricting the deformation of the locking arm at the first position, and allowing the deformation of the locking arm at the second position; and
a position retainer, which retains the lock ensuring member at either one of the first position and the second position,
wherein the locking arm is once deformed when the locking arm is engaged with the locking member to engage the first housing and the second housing; and
wherein the lock ensuring member is moved toward the second position when the first housing and the second housing are engaged with each other in a state that the lock ensuring member is placed in the first position.
In this configuration, an operator can easily recognize the lock ensuring member. Therefore, the operator hardly forgets to displace the lock ensuring member toward the first position. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent the accidental slip-off of the housings after the engagement.
Moreover, since the position retainer holds the position of the lock ensuring member, the lock ensuring member displaced to the first position can be prevented from being displaced to the second position after the engagement. Accordingly, it is possible to more reliably prevent the accidental slip-off of the housings after the engagement.
In order to achieve the second and the third objects, it is preferable that one end portion of the lock ensuring member which is away from the first housing is not protruded from an outer face of the second housing, when the lock ensuring member is placed at the second position.
In this configuration, it is possible to prevent the slip-off from the first housing after the engagement, and furthermore, to prevent the disturbance of the manufacture of a wire harness and to prevent a breakage.
In order to achieve the third object, it is preferable that one end portion of the lock ensuring member which is away from the first housing is protruded from an outer face of the second housing, when the lock ensuring member is placed at the second position.
In this configuration, an operator can easily recognize the lock ensuring member. Therefore, the operator hardly forgets to displace the lock ensuring member toward the first position. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent the accidental slip-off from the first housing after the engagement.
Moreover, since the end of the lock ensuring member is protruded from the second housing, the locking arm is easily deformed elastically through the lock ensuring member so that the locking arm can easily be disengaged from the locking member. Accordingly, it is easy to carry out the removal from the first housing.
In order to achieve the third object, it is preferable that the lock ensuring member includes a projection which restricts the deformation of the locking arm when the first housing and the second housing are engaged with each other in a state that the lock ensuring member is placed in the first position.
In this configuration, since the elastic deformation of the locking arm is restricted when the lock ensuring member is placed in the first position, it is possible to prevent the accidental slip-off from the first housing.
In order to achieve the third object, it is preferable that the lock ensuring member includes a projection which retains the lock ensuring member at the second position if the locking arm is deformed when the first housing and the second housing are engaged with each other.
In this configuration, it is possible to recognize that the locking arm is completely engaged with the locking member or not, that is, the second housing is completely engaged with the first housing or not.